DePaul University Athletics
Men's Basketball Adds Two Assistants
5/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO -- Tyler Jones has been named as an assistant coach at DePaul it was announced today by head coach Dave Leitao.
"I am excited to have Tyler on our staff. He brings championship experience from the professional level and a wealth of knowledge in player development which will be a tremendous asset to our program," Leitao said. "I am confident that he will be a first class representative of DePaul University on the court and in the community."
Jones comes to DePaul after an extremely successful five-year stint with the Connecticut Pride of the Continental Basketball Association. He was the Pride’s head coach from 1997-2002 and also served as the team’s general manager for his first three years.
Tyler led the Pride to the 1999 CBA championship; the first-ever title for the franchise, and for his efforts was voted the league’s Coach of the Year. He also served as a head coach for the league’s annual All-Star game during the 1999 and 2001 seasons. From 1997-2001, Jones owned more wins in the CBA than any other coach with 118 and during his tenure, Tyler sent six players (Adrian Griffin, Kevin Ollie, Donny Marshall, Ira Bowman, Shawnelle Scott and Rick Brunson) to the NBA.
In his duties as general manager, Jones hired and trained the entire sales and marketing staffs while developing innovative marketing packages to increase sales. During his three seasons as GM sales for the franchise increased by $1.3 million.
Before joining the Pride, Tyler spent one year (1994-95) working as a general manager for Medical Outpatient Services in East Berlin, Connecticut and five years (1989-94) for Medline Industries of Mundelein, Ill. where he was a territory sales representative for central Connecticut. Jones also worked for Dennison Manufacturing in Waltham, Mass. from 1985-89.
Jones was a standout player at Trinity College in Hartford and East Hartford High School. In 1994, he was inducted into the East Hartford Explorer’s Tip-off Club Hall of Fame.
CHICAGO -- Josh Oppenheimer has been named as an assistant coach at DePaul it was announced today by head coach Dave Leitao.
"Josh is an aggressive recruiter and an up-and-coming coach in college basketball today," Leitao said. "His ability and contacts to recruits impressed me immensely. Along with assistant coaches Gene Cross and Tyler Jones, Josh shares my vision of what DePaul basketball should, and will, stand for. I know Josh will represent our program in a very positive manner both on and off the court."
Oppenheimer comes to the Blue Demons after spending two seasons as the top assistant at Delaware.
In his first season with the Blue Hens, Oppenheimer played an integral part for a team that, despite inexperience, posted a 20-10 record, finished second in the America East Conference with a 14-4 mark and advanced to the league’s title game before falling to Hofstra. Delaware advanced to the league semifinals as first year members of the Colonial Athletic Association in 2001-02.
Oppenheimer joined the Delaware staff after spending two seasons at Duquesne where he was rated among the top recruiters in the nation at the mid-major level by several publications.
A native of Los Angeles, Oppenheimer got his start in coaching by spending 10 years as the head coach of the L.A. Rockfish, an AAU team.
Oppenheimer played seven seasons of professional basketball. He spent two summers in the United States Basketball League playing for Atlanta, Philadelphia and Palm Beach and also logged a season in the Continental Basketball Association with Cedar Rapids. Josh spent six seasons in the Israeli National League.
A graduate of Northern Arizona, Oppenheimer played his freshman season at Rhode Island, where he was a member of the Rams’ NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" team. He transferred the following season to Northern Arizona and averaged 17.5 points per game in his three years with the Lumberjacks.
